It's Time!

“Beloved, don’t you know that there is no happiness or blessedness except in giving to God?” ~Andrew Murray, 101
“ …‘Lord, here is the covenant between You and me. You delight to give all, and I delight to give back all.’ …If that simple lesson were learned, there would be an end of so much trouble about finding out the will of God, and an end of all our holding back, for it would be written, not upon our foreheads, but across our hearts, ‘God can do with me what He pleases; I belong to Him with all I have.’” ~Andrew Murray, 101-102
“You can’t expect to be filled with the Spirit unless you want to live for Christ’s kingdom…” ~Andrew Murray, 104
It seemed the Lord cared to deal with me on this matter as well (which I am thankful for)… This morning I was able to read through the final chapter of “The Deeper Christian Life” by Andrew Murray. This chapter keyed in on a verse, Chronicles 29:14 (if you want to read a cool chapter on giving to the Lord read Chr. 29!). In this chapter people are giving to the Lord for the building of the temple… much is given and King David praises God then says, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” I could write much on this and what surrounds it but let me first try to summarize how Andrew Murray expands so beautifully on it. He observes: 1) God owns all and gives all to us; 2) We have nothing but what we receive, but everything we need we may receive from God; 3) It is our privilege and honor to give back to God what we receive from Him; 4) God has a double joy in His possessions when He receives back from us what He gave. In short, we need to offer God our all and trust His way is truly the best.
Right after I finished reading this chapter we (the group home people and I) went to church… The sermon asked, “What are you going to do with your “dash” [life, as in 1983 – 2080]?”. Addressed was how we as people tend to sit much too much in the “comfort zone/chair”, our lives might be busy and hectic but it is all about serving ourselves. The people in Hebrews 11 didn’t become great or “commented” because they sat around waiting for something to happen (although waiting on the Lord was sometimes part of it). Rather, they were commended for their faith, not waiting around for something to happen “faith” but true faith. True faith is that which causes the beholder to act, like Abraham walking with Isaac to the altar, like Moses going back to Egypt (however imperfect his faith was); the kind of faith that kept the Israelites marching around the walls of Jericho.
This all caused me to think about how I live my life… Do I desire for God to “Rock my World” so as to inspire me towards His plans? How am I living out the life that the Lord has given to me? All things come from the Lord and I am to worship Him by giving back the gifts He has given me. One of the most precious things the Lord has given to me is time, how am I using that gift? Am I worshiping the Lord with my time, asking Him how I am to use it for His glory? So often we waste our lives sitting in our easy chair, watching TV, using the Internet… instead of connecting with and loving people, spending time with God, cleaning up after someone else, etc. Not that there isn’t time to relax or enjoy various habits/hobbies but are we honoring the Lord with the use of such?
What is the Lord calling you to today? Where do we need to be more faithful in service to Him? Jesus Himself exclaimed both, “It is more blessed to give then to receive” and “He who has been faithful with little will also be faithful with much”. Let us be faithful with what God has given to us today, offering our time, money, energy, possessions, etc. to His purposes for His glory! Let’s give our all up to Him and believe whole-heartedly Jam. 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Let us trust Him for these gifts as we faithfully and joyfully give them back in worship; as we share them with others rejoicing that our every need and “want” is already met in Christ.
“Lord, cause these truths to become more and more real to me that I might follow your ways and be wrapped up in you everlasting, unconditional love. May I know you better and draw ever so much nearer to you my King. Amen.”

What a Wonderous God!

Well the other day I came home from being away awhile and found out a bunch of stuff was stolen! Namely the PlayStation 3, X-Box 360, Nintendo Wii, Derek's Pumped up Computer, and another roommate's expensive Laptop. Quite a gift from God that my Laptop wasn't stolen along with all that! The situation revolving around this (i.e. who did it) is even more painful but I don't feel right talking about that part at the moment... I'll just say sometimes you can do so much for others and they'll pay you back mostly with heartache. Pray for the guy who stole this stuff, he/they need it more then anyone. Had a good staff meeting today (group home) addressing that sort of issue and how we are, so much, that way toward the Lord at times... He has done so much for us and how do we often repay Him? Ouch!

In other news... I almost bought a house today but it didn't work out. Here homes are very expensive and you basically have to have the Re-Max lady call, go right away, see the house, and make an offer on it that day! I think it would have been a decent deal for the way homes are going for now but who knows what the market will look like in five years or less! Might end up with a house I bought for $300,000 that is only worth $89,000... Well I can't bank on inheritance (b/c 1. that's morbid 2.my parents aren't rich (at least not the biological ones) and 3. They seem to be ticking for awhile yet). I can't put everything into hoping market will crash (b/c that would hurt a lot of people and who knows what will happen). I can't so much move back to Saskatchewan at present (b/c it would be a long commute to work, although it is more tempting then before). I can't dig a hole and live in it (b/c around the city of Edmonton holes are going for at least $150,000 if you dig them on your own and it's less then 6 feet square, even then you have to get it inspected, insured, and appraised, plus shovels alone are $50,000). So I suppose I'll just have to go with my best option of continually trusting in the Lord to meet all my needs and thanking Him for the great wonderful things that He does on a daily basis.

Actually the Lord has been so good to me in the last while! There have been battles for sure but through them He continually proves to be so faithful, strong and loving! I have so much here, even thinking about wondering if I'd make enough to live before I came seems totally ridiculous now. It is a blessing to be here in Edmonton, difficult at times, streaching for sure, I miss people/friends lots, but a blessing none the less.

Well all for now I suppose... Would love to hear from you, how life is, what God's been teaching you, the battles, the joys... all that jazz.

The Weak and Despised

“Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness… make straight your way before me.” ~Ps. 5:8
“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” ~Ps. 5:11
“O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint…” ~Ps. 6:1-2a
“Jesus wants us to come and receive the fulfillment of the promise, ‘whoever believes in me… streams of living water will flow from within him’ (Jn. 7:38).” ~Andrew Murray, pg. 59
“Lord, anything, but I must be filled with Your Spirit” ~Andrew Murray, pg. 64
How prone my heart is to wonder! I once saw myself to be a lot more one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked and who delights in the law of the Lord but in recent months my eyes have been opened to the sinful creature I struggle with inside of me. I desire so much to be that man who is planted by streams of water and to yield “fruit” from my life. There are some strong promises/statements of the Lord… ones I must grab a hold of and allow the Lord to continue doing the great work He started within me.
This last statement is where I need to constantly be… to give the Lord everything so that I might have the Spirit’s filling daily. That I might have more of the Lord, walk more in step with Him and to pour forth the rivers/streams of living water upon the people of this world. So much God/Jesus shows His desire for His people to bear fruit and to pour forth his Spiritual water! If we are not bearing this fruit it is not because of the Lord but because of us. God wants it, we must get our lives right, keep them right and through prayer take hold of those promises. May I/we pray fervently for the work of God to spring forth on our land!
“Lord, I thank you for your great patience and mercy upon me. Thank you that you do not give up on me when I fail so many times and when I am so weak. I praise you for using the weak and despised things of the world to shame the “strong” and for showing your mighty power through using people like me. Help me to stand strong and to walk in the way Everlasting, to walk in your Righteousness and fullness. Spread your protection over me and deliver me from evil. Father God, fill me continually with your Spirit and help me to lay down everything at your feet knowing who you are and your great loving-kindness for all who are yours. Help me to more and more trust in you and be strengthened in my Faith toward you and your work. Amen.”

Filled with the Spirit

"The first and most important need of our Christian life is fellowship with God... As every moment I need fresh air to breathe, and as the sun every moment sends down afresh its light, so it is only in direct, living communication with God that my soul can really be strong." ~Andrew Murray, "The Deeper Christian Life"

So, I have this sidebar thing on my computer called "Impact", basically while I'm connected to the Internet it will have a verse every day come up and if you click on it there is a discussion going on. It is a cool tool, something that should happen a lot more then in does (only in a personal, real-life situation). Through it I've come to realize that too few people know what it truly means to be "filled with the Holy Spirit" (as in Eph. 5:18, and many other places). Too many are "content" with (as Andrew Murray of old would say...) living the "low life, that is the life of mediocrity and hypocrisy. As Christ followers we are called to be "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Eph. 5:18)... The Holy Spirit cannot fill us if we allow our filthy sins to linger within us, no more then one would care to drink out of a cup sitting in a manure pile. First we must be purified by the Lord by coming before Him daily confessing and repenting (turning from) our sins and giving our all to Him. Then as we are washed again by the blood of the Lord, we ask and receive the filling and indwelling of the Spirit of God!

As far as what that filling is... Gal. 5 shows the fruit of the Spirit; the Holy Spirit as He dwells in our lives produces those things (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). We also experience a heightened sensitivity to God's desires in everyday life, a sensitivity to the "grey areas". As well, we can understand when we are to make a call; saying something to someone or do something. We better understand and have the heart and mind of the Lord within us leading, guiding and directing us along the right and true path.

Andrew Murray points out the Father's words to the elder brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son... "My Son... you are always with me and everything I have is yours." ~Lk. 15:31. Likewise, and by extension, the Lord says to each one of us, "My child, you are always with me and everything I have is yours... when are you going to grab a hold of my blessed promise?" This is not the only place in the Scripture where God brings this promise before us. See Ja. 4:8, "Come near to God and he will come near to you." or Jn. 14:13-14, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." There is a powerful rich life out there for each believer let us throw off all that hinders and run for the prize, let us take hold of that life and dwell in the arms and care of the Lord Almighty!

"The true reason of the absence of God from us in rather found in our sin and unbelief, than in any supposed sovereignty of His. If the child of God is walking in faith and obedience, the divine presence will be enjoyed in unbroken continuity." ~Andrew Murray

What is keeping you from enjoying the wonderful presence of the Lord today?